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Question about erasing techniques for dark graphite hair
Hi Ali,
I’m working on the Wednesday portrait and I’ve run into a problem in the darkest hair sections. At this stage, I’m applying a very dark 8B graphite layer and then trying to lift out individual hair strands with an eraser.
The issue is that I can barely remove any graphite once the dark layer is down. Interestingly, a kneaded eraser can lighten the area slightly, but even a Mono eraser cannot create sharp hair strands, it mostly slides over the surface or smudges the graphite. I’ve tried several erasers, but none of them produce the clean, fine hair texture that I see in your demonstration.
I’m working on smooth technical drawing paper. Could it be that the paper is too smooth for this technique, causing the 8B graphite to adhere too strongly to the surface? Or is the problem more likely related to the type of pencil, the thickness of the graphite layer, or my application technique?
In your experience, what is the root cause when graphite cannot be cleanly lifted to create sharp hair strands from a very dark 8B layer?
Thank you for your help!
Reema, Jason and 7 others6 Comments-
Hi Edit,
Great question. Based on what you’ve described, I don’t think the problem is the 8B pencil itself. In my experience, the most common cause is actually the paper.
Very smooth technical papers tend to hold the graphite on the surface differently. When a heavy 8B layer is applied, especially if it has been burnished or compressed with pressure, the graphite can become difficult to lift cleanly. Instead of cutting a sharp hair strand, the eraser often slides over the surface or smears the graphite, exactly as you’re describing.
Another possibility is that the graphite layer is simply too thick. If you’re building multiple heavy layers of 8B, the surface can become saturated. At that point, even a Mono Zero eraser will struggle to produce crisp strands.
For dark hair, I usually try to build the darkness gradually and avoid pressing too hard in the early stages. I also find that lifting hairs works best before the graphite becomes fully compacted. Once the surface is heavily burnished, the eraser has much less to grab onto.
One simple test would be to create a small sample square on the same paper. Apply your 8B layer with light pressure in one area and heavy pressure in another. Then try lifting hairs with your Mono eraser. That should quickly tell you whether the issue is coming from the paper, the graphite density, or the pressure being used.
Also, which technical paper are you using? The paper itself may be giving us the biggest clue. 😊
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@alihaiderrehman Hi Ali,
Thank you very much for your detailed explanation and guidance. It was extremely helpful.
After reading your reply, I ran a series of experiments. I created several test swatches using my 8B pencil, gradually increasing the pressure to achieve darker values. Then I repeated the test with additional layers of graphite to see how the surface behaved.
The results were very interesting. My “best” Mono eraser actually performed poorly in every case. However, another Mono eraser worked significantly better and was able to lift much cleaner highlights.
I also found that the amount of pressure used when applying the graphite made a huge difference. The more compressed and worked into the paper the graphite became, the harder it was to lift cleanly, exactly as you suggested.
I still need to experiment further to find the right balance between achieving a deep black base and preserving enough liftability to create bright hair strands, but your advice gave me a clear direction for solving the problem.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from this is the value of testing techniques on a separate sheet before applying them to the actual drawing. I will definitely be doing that more often in the future.
Thank you again for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it! 😊
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@SEDITH Hi, what paper were you using?
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@chrissygudgeon 170 g/m2 smooth technical drawing paper, but I want to try the 200 g/m2 paper.
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very helpful description i also have problems lifting graphite when trying to get hairs
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@rickiebirt Me too, my rendition looks like spaghetti 🤣
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